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Starbucks sells majority stake in China business as it eyes expansion

By in News, World News

After years of losing market share to local rivals in China, Starbucks has announced it will sell the majority stake in its Chinese business to a Hong Kong-based private equity firm for $4 billion.

Boyu Capital will acquire a 60% stake in Starbucks’ Chinese retail operations through a joint venture, according to the announcement made on Monday.

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According to the Reuters news agency, Alvin Jiang, the grandson of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, is one of the cofounders of Boyu Capital, which has offices in Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore.

The US coffee giant will keep its 40% stake in its China operations while maintaining its intellectual property and brand rights, according to the company.

The deal establishes Starbucks’ 26-year history in China, the company stated in a statement.

According to Jason Yu, the managing director of CTR Market Research in Shanghai, it will also provide Starbucks with much-needed financial and logistical support as it tries to expand its business further into China.

Starbucks currently has 8, 000 locations in China, but the company wants to start 20 000 through its joint venture, according to a statement from the company.

According to Yu, “Starbucks was a pioneer in coffee in China, where it was probably the first coffee chain in a lot of cities,” but this is no longer the case because local competition has already outpaced Starbucks in expansion.”

Homegrown Luckin Coffee, which has more than 26, 000 locations worldwide, most of which are in China, is one of its main rivals.

While Luckin has grown to much smaller cities, Starbucks has historically concentrated in first- and second-tier cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen.

Through its loyalty program and in-app discounts, Luckin has also established itself as a provider of customers much less expensive beverages than Starbucks.

According to Yu, a small Americano coffee at Starbucks costs 30 yuan ($4.21), but a similar cup of coffee can be purchased for about 10 yuan ($1.40) at Luckin.

Starbucks has struggled to keep up with consumer preferences and competitive pricing, according to Olivia Plotnick, the founder of Wai Social, a social marketing firm based in Shanghai.

Starbucks has lost its once very competitive edge as a result of domestic players like Luckin and later Cotti Coffee undermining it on price, footprint, and flavor, according to Plotnick, who is credited with this. Plotnick referred to the fierce competition between apps for delivery services, which lower prices like coffee, as a term used in “delivery platform wars.”

As more storefronts are built in regional cities, Yu said, the joint venture between Starbucks and Boyu Capital will not only give the company more money for investment, but also provide assistance with logistics, infrastructure, and managing commercial property.

He claimed that the business is following a well-known blueprint used by other global brands in China.

Yum Brands, the owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, sold a stake in their China business to Primavera Capital, an affiliate of the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, in 2016, according to Reuters. The China business was later transformed into a single entity.

McDonald’s acquired a majority stake in its businesses in China, Hong Kong, and Macau from the state-backed Chinese conglomerate CITIC and Carlyle Capital in 2017, but it later acquired some of its shares of the business, according to CNBC.

Pawlett following in footsteps of heptathlon heroes

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty
Gareth Bailey

Wales’ BBC Sport

After winning her first World Athletics Championships, heptathlete Abigail Pawlett says it is her dream to bring home an Olympic medal.

After a long-awaited test to see if she would top the rankings high enough to fill her spot, Pawlett, 22, made her Tokyo debut in September.

She fell in her first competition event, the hurdles, before recovering and posting a personal best of 1.80m in the high jump, winning in the 200m heat.

Following the long jump on day two, she was forced to withdraw due to a delayed concussion.

The Welsh athlete believes she can inspire others to do the same with her heptathlon heroes Denise Lewis, Kelly Sotherton, Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

“Imagining what might come in the future is exciting,” said Pawlett.

Bittersweet

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Pawlett’s agonizing debut event fall put her in the spotlight, but it was her response that revealed the potential of her career.

The Welsh athlete claims that it was “get over the psychological block” for setting a new high jump personal best (PB) for the first time in six years.

Pawlett remarked, “It was bittersweet.” After falling on the obstacles, I first felt disbelief.

After the obstacles, Jade O’Dowda and Kat Johnson-Thompson [came over to me and kind of cocooned me from the cameras, which I really appreciated.

The Chester-born athlete added, “My first worry is that I won’t be able to text my parents to say I’m okay because they will be sat around the television.”

“Hopefully the high jump demonstrated that I’m okay; it marks my first personal best since I was 16 years old,” said the athlete.

Pawlett claims she was pleased to leave Tokyo with something to show for her efforts despite her disappointment over having to withdraw from the competition’s final two events.

“For that high jump record, I would have flown to Tokyo.”

Would I have gotten past 1.80 meters if I hadn’t fallen? Would that anger and desire to profit from it have been real? I’m not sure.

“I’ve at least shown myself that I’ve done it because going through six years of PB psychologically drains me.”

The reigning British indoor 60m hurdles champion was encouraged by more.

In the fourth round of the Tokyo competition, Pawlett’s 23.25s in the 200-meter dashed the fastest of any of the 22 heptathlon competitors.

I would have been second overnight if you had substituted in a regular hurdles from me this season, even with a subpar shot put and 200m.

“I know that there is a chance,” he said, “even though I didn’t actually put that score together.”

Johnson-Thompson won a dramatic bronze in Tokyo, but O’Dowda placed eighth overall.

They are competing, in Pawlett’s opinion, with her 26-year-old fellow Briton, who she believes is raising their standards.

She said, “Me and Jade are soaring above each other in the rankings.”

Welsh record holder

(L-R) Silver medalist Abigail Pawlett of Team Great Britain, Gold medalist Saga Vanninen of Team Finland and Bronze medalist Serina Riedel of Team Germany pose for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women's Heptathlon during Day Four of the 2025 European Athletics U23 ChampionshipsImages courtesy of Getty

Pawlett, who had to compete after graduating from Loughborough University, took silver at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen in July.

She paid the price, and the Welsh record-holder did it for a reason.

“I believe Bergen was the culmination of many years of diligent work and luck,” Bergen said.

I missed Covid, my world juniors, my foot, and a lot of my age-grade material.

“So my chances of winning age group medals were hindered by my injuries and the pandemic.

You never know what might happen, but when I look back at the world juniors, I’m certain that I’d win a medal.

Pawlett rates her Bergen medal as the highlight of 2025 despite being chosen for Tokyo, and it is obvious that she has an Olympic medal to focus on the future.

The ultimate objective of any sport, especially track and field, is to win the Olympics, according to Pawlett.

I’m certain that I’ll be able to win medals in the future. We’ve been using the calculator app, and I’m aware of what I can do and what my coach can do.

The upcoming British star?

Jessica Ennis-Hill competes in the Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles at the London 2012 Olympic GamesImages courtesy of Getty

Only at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics has there been a heptathlon podium without a Briton on it since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where Lewis won the medal.

Lewis won back-to-back bronze medals in Beijing (2004) and Athens (2004), while Sotherton won back-to-back bronze medals in Atlanta and Sydney (2008).

Ennis-Hill is renowned for winning gold at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and silver at London in 2012.

Johnson-Thompson won silver in Paris 2024 after being disqualified in Tokyo in the 200-meter race in 2021.

Without a doubt, the moment gave Pawlett’s desire to compete was one of heptathlon.

“Watching Jess Ennis-Hill compete in the hurdles in London and trying to imitate her was my first Olympic memory.”

It’s obvious that I want to win [Olympic gold] first, and then I want to join that group of British heptathletes.

You look at them and when they did their scores, and I still have a while to go to be so close to them now, at age 22.

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“Retire? Not just yet!” – Craig Revel Horwood on why he and Strictly Come Dancing are going nowhere

By in Entertainment News, News

Since its inception, Craig Revel Horwood, a fav, has judged Strictly Come Dancing. He chats with Hannah Britt about haters, remodeling projects, and the unexpected dancer he would choose as his dance partner.

This year saw Craig Revel Horwood celebrate a very special birthday – the big 6-0. And, while rumours have been swirling around whether or not the Strictly Come Dancing judge will retire this year, I am pleased to report that it’s not on the cards just yet. To thank, we have his house renovation. “When I was 25 I took out my pension and began paying in £136 a month. I’ve been paying that ever since. I once said I’d like to retire at 50 and to be able to afford a bottle of Champagne every day… but that didn’t work out. Then I thought, well maybe I’ll retire at 60… but now I’ve just bought a new house and gutted it – and everything is so expensive. So I don’t think retirement is on the cards for me just yet.”

Craig recently became known as Sofology’s Head of Fusstomer Experiences, which is just how he is portrayed. As you’ll probably already be able to tell from watching me on Saturday nights, “I’m one of the fussiest people you’ll ever meet,” he says, “I’m not afraid to say if I don’t like something.” However, he is still in love after turning 60. Craig, a resident of Kingscliff, says, “I always forget until someone reminds me, like Anton du Beke likes to do live on television.”

At age 60, I feel great. I remember when I was 30 and thought that 60-year-olds were ancient, but I don’t feel that way. I’m also reminded of how old people are when they say they can only get older when they feel old. I’m still choreographing for 18- to 20-year-olds and performing them. Because I’m conversing with them, working with them, and having a laugh with them, it keeps me young and relevant. a member of the clan, the group, or the team. I am aware of all the jargon and keeps up with how young people speak.

He claims that dancing is no longer a sell-by date. Your career as a dancer was over, as it was when you were 30 years old, like a football player. After all, you can only perform the splits for a certain amount of time. However, according to Craig, “30 has turned into 50 today.”

In the 1970s, dancing was considered to be very ageist. You had to be a certain height and shape; once you reached that point, you were exiled and forced to leave. We were measured and weighed at places where I used to work, like Théâtre du Lido in Paris, while tying our G-strings. We had to be the same weight and 6 ft 2 each. Because it was so body-conscious, it can derail your mental health. I think I made a small escape from everything, and I was fortunate to leave.

However, they are currently teaching about nutrition, fitness, and injury recovery in dance schools. That never happened; if you were injured, you were simply benched or fired. Instead of escaping to the circus, dancing has become more of a profession. You can dance your entire life.

Since the show’s debut in 2004 and Craig’s participation on the judging panel for Strictly, Craig has been there for more than 20 years. He is the panel’s longest-serving judge. I think it’s great that a younger dancer is honored in this way. Everyone is celebrated, which is really important, in my opinion. I don’t understand why so many people in the press want to lower it. It’s unsettling.

Clickbait, I offer. “I don’t know what the obsession is with people clicking on absolutely every little thing. None of this was happening in the 70s and 80s – it didn’t exist when I was growing up and now it’s become a huge pressure,” says Craig, who grew up in Australia before moving to the UK aged 23.

Social media, too, is a topic that needs to be debated frequently, including whether it is destroying children’s lives. There is simply too much information available, and everyone has access to it at this very moment. Everyone is using that instead of their brains now that AI is in the spotlight. I used to research something using the encyclopaedia. Describe a volcano. I’d go look and see what you see. You now ask a question, and it is completely ignored.

He claims that this “unites people” strictly. Everyone on the show was able to say “thank you” in sign language after seeing Rose (Ayling-Ellis), who couldn’t hear the music but could only feel it. It turns into a habit, which is really important, in my opinion.

When Chris (McCausland) was blind and had to jump off chairs, “that really woke me up to how he has to live his life and the way he has to learn things,” he said. Ellie (Goldstein, the first Strictly contestant with Down Syndrome), we have now. Why are people buried in boxes? It’s disgusting, in my opinion. I’m all for having community, which is what Strictly is about.

La Voix is the first drag queen to join the lineup this year, and it’s for the first time. It advises putting on your mother’s heels and laughing. For children, there is color and movement. Conversations are opened and started by it. Every aspect of the community must be celebrated and brought together, according to Craig.

“I think we need to calm down in life. It has become a very woke world and I think Strictly has evolved out of any stereotypes. We’ve had boys dancing with boys, girls dancing together, and it’s great.

What other program brings people together in the same way? No matter what your job title or interests are, Strictly has a common thread that many people share. We have champions of snooker and Olympic snooker, as well as rugby players and football players. It starts off conversations and fosters friendships.

It has grown to be such a center. Many people look forward to it for many reasons. We make an effort to lift everyone’s spirits. That is the focus of it. Strictly doesn’t have a destination”!

Continue reading the article.

One day we may even see him compete. “If I was a pro dancer… I’d like to be paired with Simon Cowell,” laughs Craig. “He’s smaller than me, so he’d have to go backwards. Wouldn’t we make a great team?”

“Retire? Not just yet!” – Craig Revel Horwood on why he and Strictly Come Dancing are going nowhere

By in Entertainment News, News

Since its inception, Craig Revel Horwood, a fav, has judged Strictly Come Dancing. He chats with Hannah Britt about haters, remodeling projects, and the unexpected dancer he would choose as his dance partner.

This year saw Craig Revel Horwood celebrate a very special birthday – the big 6-0. And, while rumours have been swirling around whether or not the Strictly Come Dancing judge will retire this year, I am pleased to report that it’s not on the cards just yet. To thank, we have his house renovation. “When I was 25 I took out my pension and began paying in £136 a month. I’ve been paying that ever since. I once said I’d like to retire at 50 and to be able to afford a bottle of Champagne every day… but that didn’t work out. Then I thought, well maybe I’ll retire at 60… but now I’ve just bought a new house and gutted it – and everything is so expensive. So I don’t think retirement is on the cards for me just yet.”

Craig recently became known as Sofology’s Head of Fusstomer Experiences, which is just how he is portrayed. As you’ll probably already be able to tell from watching me on Saturday nights, “I’m one of the fussiest people you’ll ever meet,” he says, “I’m not afraid to say if I don’t like something.” However, he is still in love after turning 60. Craig, a resident of Kingscliff, says, “I always forget until someone reminds me, like Anton du Beke likes to do live on television.”

At age 60, I feel great. I remember when I was 30 and thought that 60-year-olds were ancient, but I don’t feel that way. I’m also reminded of how old people are when they say they can only get older when they feel old. I’m still choreographing for 18- to 20-year-olds and performing them. Because I’m conversing with them, working with them, and having a laugh with them, it keeps me young and relevant. a member of the clan, the group, or the team. I am aware of all the jargon and keeps up with how young people speak.

He claims that dancing is no longer a sell-by date. Your career as a dancer was over, as it was when you were 30 years old, like a football player. After all, you can only perform the splits for a certain amount of time. However, according to Craig, “30 has turned into 50 today.”

In the 1970s, dancing was considered to be very ageist. You had to be a certain height and shape; once you reached that point, you were exiled and forced to leave. We were measured and weighed at places where I used to work, like Théâtre du Lido in Paris, while tying our G-strings. We had to be the same weight and 6 ft 2 each. Because it was so body-conscious, it can derail your mental health. I think I made a small escape from everything, and I was fortunate to leave.

However, they are currently teaching about nutrition, fitness, and injury recovery in dance schools. That never happened; if you were injured, you were simply benched or fired. Instead of escaping to the circus, dancing has become more of a profession. You can dance your entire life.

Since the show’s debut in 2004 and Craig’s participation on the judging panel for Strictly, Craig has been there for more than 20 years. He is the panel’s longest-serving judge. I think it’s great that a younger dancer is honored in this way. Everyone is celebrated, which is really important, in my opinion. I don’t understand why so many people in the press want to lower it. It’s unsettling.

Clickbait, I offer. “I don’t know what the obsession is with people clicking on absolutely every little thing. None of this was happening in the 70s and 80s – it didn’t exist when I was growing up and now it’s become a huge pressure,” says Craig, who grew up in Australia before moving to the UK aged 23.

Social media, too, is a topic that needs to be debated frequently, including whether it is destroying children’s lives. There is simply too much information available, and everyone has access to it at this very moment. Everyone is using that instead of their brains now that AI is in the spotlight. I used to research something using the encyclopaedia. Describe a volcano. I’d go look and see what you see. You now ask a question, and it is completely ignored.

He claims that this “unites people” strictly. Everyone on the show was able to say “thank you” in sign language after seeing Rose (Ayling-Ellis), who couldn’t hear the music but could only feel it. It turns into a habit, which is really important, in my opinion.

When Chris (McCausland) was blind and had to jump off chairs, “that really woke me up to how he has to live his life and the way he has to learn things,” he said. Ellie (Goldstein, the first Strictly contestant with Down Syndrome), we have now. Why are people buried in boxes? It’s disgusting, in my opinion. I’m all for having community, which is what Strictly is about.

La Voix is the first drag queen to join the lineup this year, and it’s for the first time. It advises putting on your mother’s heels and laughing. For children, there is color and movement. Conversations are opened and started by it. Every aspect of the community must be celebrated and brought together, according to Craig.

“I think we need to calm down in life. It has become a very woke world and I think Strictly has evolved out of any stereotypes. We’ve had boys dancing with boys, girls dancing together, and it’s great.

What other program brings people together in the same way? No matter what your job title or interests are, Strictly has a common thread that many people share. We have champions of snooker and Olympic snooker, as well as rugby players and football players. It starts off conversations and fosters friendships.

It has grown to be such a center. Many people look forward to it for many reasons. We make an effort to lift everyone’s spirits. That is the focus of it. Strictly doesn’t have a destination”!

Continue reading the article.

One day we may even see him compete. “If I was a pro dancer… I’d like to be paired with Simon Cowell,” laughs Craig. “He’s smaller than me, so he’d have to go backwards. Wouldn’t we make a great team?”

Worker dies in Italy after rescue from partially collapsed medieval tower

By in News, World News

According to officials, a Romanian worker who was rescued from the rubble of a partially collapsed medieval tower in Rome has passed away.

Octay Stroici, who had remained conscious throughout the lengthy rescue operation, was taken to Umberto I Hospital in serious condition late on Monday and later declared dead.

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According to the Umberto I hospital, “Resuscitation attempts were made for about an hour to save Octay Stroici,” according to Italian news agency ANSA.

His “death was pronounced at 12: 20am” on Tuesday (23: 20 GMT) indicates that spontaneous cardiac activity could not be restored despite this.

Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, expressed her condolences quickly.

She said in a statement, “I express deep sorrow and condolences, on behalf of myself and the government, for the tragic loss of Octay Stroici, the worker who was killed in the fall of the Torre dei Conti in Rome.” At this time of unbearable suffering, we are close to his family and colleagues.

The 29-meter (95-foot) Torre dei Conti, which had been partially rebuilt by Stroici, caused rubble to fall into the street and a cloud of dust to encircle it shortly before noon on Monday.

[Remo Casilli/Reuters] After an earlier partial collapse, close to Via dei Fori Imperiali, close to the Colosseum, on November 3, the tower in Rome, Italy, is causing dust to rise.

Stroici was trapped in a building, and rescuers had to use first-floor windows and aerial ladders to reach him. However, 90 minutes later, a second collapse forced them to retreat.

A drone was used to intercept another attempt on two ladders, which was also aborted.

The second-floor window was filled with rubble as dusk approached, and firefighters using giant cranes to lift it onto a crane. They kept working until late at night.

Every time a body part was freed, there was additional rubble that covered it, according to Rome’s prefect Lamberto Giannini, who spoke to reporters.

According to firefighter spokesperson Luca Cari, three workers were unharmed when the initial midday incident occurred. Another worker, 64, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to state television RAI, who reported that he was conscious and had a broken nose.

The operation left no injuries to the firefighters.

The Colosseum, Italy’s top tourist destination, is close to the Torre dei Conti, which is located close to the busy Imperial Forum and close to the busy Imperial Forum. Pope Innocent III erected it as a family residence in the 13th century.

In the seventeenth century, the tower suffered structural damage from an earthquake in 1349 and subsequent collapses.

According to officials, the structure’s restoration, which includes conservation work, the installation of electrical, lighting, and water systems, and a new museum installation dedicated to the most recent phases of the Roman Imperial Forum, has cost 6.9 million euros (approximately $8 million).

According to officials, structural surveys and load tests were conducted before the most recent phase, which began in June, “to confirm the stability of the structure, which confirmed the safety conditions necessary” to begin work, including asbestos removal.

The current work, carried out at a cost of 400, 000 euros ($460, 000), was just about complete.

Following a statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that suggested Italy’s support for Ukraine, the Italian government summoned the ambassador of Russia.

“From the economy to its towers, Italy will collapse,” said the spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram.

Half Yours wins Melbourne Cup

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty
Lana Lam

Sydney

Jamie Melham becomes the second female jockey to win Australia’s most well-known horse race after Half Yours won the Melbourne Cup.

The Irish gelding Middle Earth came in third place, followed by the English gelding Goodie Two Shoes, who was trained by Ireland’s Joseph O’Brien and trained by Wayne Lordan.

Melham became the first woman to win the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double after winning Half Yours in the Caulfield Cup last month.

Favorites Al Riffa and Presage Nocturne, both trained in Ireland, came in 19th and 7th place.

Absurde, trained by Irishman Willie Mullins, placed 8th, while Meydaan, trained by British father-and-son trainers Simon and Ed Crisford, placed 10th.

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